How Technology Improve Relationship of Latino Family
(Photo : pixabay.com)

Latinos currently represent 18.3 percent of the U.S. population and is poised to increase up to 28.6 percent by 2060, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As of 2018, there were already 59.9 million Latinos living in the country which means there are almost 60 million people who lives miles away from their loved ones in Latin America.

While living the American Dream isn't easy, being an immigrant proves to be a lot more difficult. And nothing helps them cope more than those moments they share with their family - even if it's through voice and video calls - to remind them that miles away, somebody cares.

A new study by Nielsen has revealed that Latinos use technology to bridge the distance between them and their loved ones. Moreover, they have moved to the forefront of technology adoption in other areas with social media, apps, mobile video usage, digital music consumption, radio listening, TV viewing, gaming, and web activities.

The study further reveals that 35 percent of Latinos agree that they are among the first of their peers to try new technology products (over-indexing non-Hispanic whites by 36 percent), while 54 percent of Latinos agree they are willing to spend more for top-quality electronics.

Another data to take note is that, the internet plays an integral role in everything Latinos do, from cultural connectivity to infotainment to online purchase and they do it using a smartphone, as US Latinos over-index the US total population by nine percent for smartphone ownership. Moreover, 99 percent of US Hispanic households have a wireless-phone service.

For Dominican Maria Valdez, PopSugar Lead Editor, getting an iPhone device has allowed her to optimize how she communicates with her family. With the iOS 13 features of her iPhone 11, she is able to allow Siri read her family's message without pulling out her phone on busy hours, and respond by just saying "Hey Siri" or tapping on her AirPods. Aside from communication purposes, she utilizes Siri to control Apple Music and even third-party apps like Spotify with easy commands like "Turn it up" or "Play the next song," to seamlessly enjoy her favorite jams.

Another feature that has improved the way Latino families stay connected is Family Sharing. Since Valdez and her siblings live abroad, they are able to visit iCloud once in a while and find out that their dad has been compiling, organizing, and scanning all their childhood photos.

It is also worthy to take note that while people would assume only the younger generations are more technologically-inclined, the study revealed that Latinos 50 years and older have become particularly tech savvy, over-indexing non-Hispanic Whites by 36 percent, admitting they like to have a lot of electronic gadgets, and by 28 percent for agreeing they often discuss their knowledge of technology or electronic products with other people.

The increase of technology use for Latinos can also be attributed to the fact that Latino labor force is growing as they accounted for 75 percent of all U.S. labor force growth between 2010 and 2016. This means their economic clout is poised to grow exponentially as they enter their prime earning years. One evidence is the increase of Hispanic homeownership rate in the U.S.

Technology may have shaped economies and connected people across the globe but for Latinos living miles away from their loved ones, it is a life-saver.